Signaling system



Sept. 30, 1941. J. H. HAMMOND, JR

SIGNALING SYSTEM Filed March 28, 1939 INVENTOR oted for rotation at I].

Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIGNALING SYSTEM John Hays Hammond, In, Gloucester, Mass.

Application March 28,1939, Serial No. 264,534

2 Claims.

This invention relates to signaling systems for vessels and more particularly to an improved system in which a visible indication and a sound signal are produced simultaneously.

One object of the invention is to combine-the usual air whistle with a visual indicating means for producing a visible water mist or chemical vapor.

Another object is to provide means for illuminating the mist or vapor at night so as to make it clearly visible.

A further object is to provide various colored lights for illuminating the mist or vapor which are operated in conjunction with the whistle.

The invention also consists in certain new and original features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, .the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, the mode of its operation and the manner of its organization may be better understoodjby referring to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which- Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 shows a modified form of the invention; and

Fig. 3 shows a further modification thereof.

Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures in the drawing.

In the following description and in the claims parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as 'the art will permit.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing and more particularly to Fig. 1 an air whistle I I is provided which is connected by a pipe I2 to a source of air under pressure not shown. In the pipe I2 is mounted a control valve I3 which is connected by a link I5 to a manually operated lever I6 piv- This air whistle and control lever may comprise any standard type such as used on vessels for signaling purposes.

In accordance with the present invention the lever I6 is also connected to a link I8 which operates a valve I9 which is connected in a pipe 20 for supplying water under pressure from a source not shown to a nozzle 2I in an atomizer 22. The

pipe I2 from which air for atomization is supplied.

Mounted adjacent to the atomizer 22 is a source of illumination such as a lamp 25 mounted in a casing 26. The lamp 25 is connected through a battery 21 and switch 28 to two contacts 29 and 30 which are located adjacent to the lever I6. Mounted on but insulated from the lever I6 is a contact member 3I of conducting material which engages the contacts 29 and 30 when the lever I6 is operated.

In the operation of the form of the invention shown in Fig. 1, when it is desired to sound the whistle the lever I6 is ,rotated in a clockwise direction about the pivot I'I. Ihis causes the two links I5 and I8 to operate the valves I3 and I9. This allows air under pressure to enter the whistle I I from the supply pipe I2 causing the whistle to sound in a well known manner.

At the same time water under pressure is sprayed from the nozzle 2| and compressed air from'the pipe 23 enters the base of the atomizer 22; which causes a fine mist or fog 'to be produced as indicated at 33. As this mist or fog is a white vapor it is clearly visible in the daytime. At night the switch 28 may be closed so that when the lever I6 is operated the segment 3I will engage the contacts 29 and 30 to energize the lamp 25, thusilluminating the mist or fog 33 and making it clearly visible in the darkness.

Referring to the modified form of the inven- 1 tion shown in Fig. 2, the whistle II, air pipe I2, valve I3, links I5 and I8, valve I9 and water pipe 20 are similar to those shown in Fig. 1. In this case, however, the atomizer 22 is replaced by a modified form of atomizer 35 which produces a mist or fog from water under pressure, without the use of compressed air.

The links I5 and I8 are connected to a lever 36 which is pivoted at 31. Secured to the other end of the lever 36 is a pin 38 which slides in a slot 39 provided in a T shaped lever 40 which is pivoted at H. The center section 42 of the lever 40 is made of conducting material and is insulated from the two end sections. Located adjacent to the conducting section 42 are two contacts 45 and 46 which are connected in the circuits of two lamps 41 and 48. The common return circuit of the two lamps 41 and 48 is connected through a switch 49 and a battery 50 to the segment 42. The lamps 41 and 48 are mounted in casings 5| and 52, which are located ad- J'acent to the atomizer 35. Mounted in front of atomizer 22 is connected by a pipe 23 to the air 65 the lamps 41 and 48 are two sheets of glass and v 56- which may be differently colored, as for ex- .to a common pipe 69 ample, red and green respectively.

In the operation of the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 when the lever MI is moved in a counterclockwise .directionthe pin 38 will travel to the right hand end of the slot 39, thus causing the lever 36 to rotate in a clockwise direction to open the valves l3 and I9. 4

Air entering the whistle II from the pipe l2 will cause it to sound and water entering the.

v a clockwise direction to open the valves l3 and I3 so as to sound the whistle II and produce the mist 51. This time, however, a circuit will be closed-by the contact 45 through the lamp 41,

At the same time a circuit will be naling. Obviously the air whistle may be rethus causing the mist 5'! tobe illuminated by red light (for example).

It is thus seen that by moving the lever 40 to the right the whistle will be sounded and the mist will be illuminated by a light of one color and that by moving the lever 40 to the left the whistle will be sounded and the mist will be illuminated by light of another color. 11 red and green lights are used the colored signal may correspond to the usual port and starboard lights to designate the side on which the ship is to pass. This signal thus supplements the usual blasts of a whistle or the like and reduces the possibility of error in interpreting or reading the signal.

'In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the whistle ll, pipe l2, valve l3, link I5 and lever [6 are similar to those shown in Fig. 1. The lever I6 is also connected by a link system 7 6.0, SI and 62 to two valves 65 and 66 which control the flow of two chemicals under pressure from two supply pipes Gland 68. These chemicals may be of any suitable composition for producing, when mixed together, a visible vapor 1|, preferably white if illumination is to be used.

The pipes 61 and 68 may, for example, contain respectively phosphorus in a solvent and an atomizer I0.

which passes to an In the operation of the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 when the lever 16 is pulled down the three valves I3, 65 and 66 are opened simultaneously causing the whistle II to sound and the two chemicals from the pipes 61 and 68 to be combined and fed to the atomizer Ill.

It is thus seen that when the whistle is sounded a visible vapor is produced which is similar to the mist produced in Figs. 1 and 2 and which may be illuminated either by white or colored light as already described.

The invention accordingly provides a visual signal which is particularly useful on shipboard for the purposes above outlined. It may, however, be applied to other uses such as code sigplaced by a siren or by other sound producing means which is capable of operation without normally producing a visual indication as distinguished from a steam whistle which is made visible by the exhaust steam. With, the latter system however the colored lights may be used to supplement the sound signal at night.

Although only a few of the variousforms in which this invention may be embodied have been shown herein, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction but may be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A marine signaling system comprising a whistle actuated by an invisible fluid, means independent of said whistle for producing a visible vapor simulating the vapor discharged from a. steam whistle, and means actuating said whistle and said vapor producing means in unison for signaling, whereby the sound of the whistle is accompanied by a visible vapor simulating steam as discharged from a steam whistle.

2. A marine signaling system comprising a whistle actuated by an invisible fluid, means independent of said whistle for producing a visible vapor simulating the vapor discharged from a steam whistle, a pair of differently colored light sources arranged to illuminate said vapor, and means actuating said whistle, saidvapor producing means and a selected light source'in unison, whereby the audible signal is accompanied by a vapor simulating the steam discharged from a steam whistle and-illuminated by a selected colored light corresponding to the signal being given by said whistle.

JOHN HAYS HAMTMOND, JR. 

